Motorola: If ICS won't make our device better, we won't update to it

[ChrisTX]

Motorola: If ICS won't make our device better, we won't update to it
And some of you here wonder why we chose the iPhone, and iOS over Android. No one wants a carrier, or OEM skinned device. Timely updates are a must, not 6 months after public release, or in the case of Motorola maybe never.

 

[0m3ga]

Motorola: If ICS won't make our device better, we won't update to it
iOS timely updates, no carrier skinning, and the user experience moderated by Apple. While the customization of Android seems nice, seeing articles like this make the iPhone choice a no brainer. People complain about Apples strict control, and "walled garden". But at least we get a "Just works" experience, and timely updates! I know Google is working hard to be "Open, and free" but with all of the carrier, and OEM skinning it just really seems to ruin the experience. With that being said, the next iPhone can't come soon enough. /rant

Anyone can buy a Galaxy Nexus by Google if they want. Instant OS updates, with a pure Android experience and no manufacturer UI, sinse it comes straight from Google. How is this any different from the iphone?

And now that the merger between Motorola mobility and Google has finally received China's blessing, anything that came from Motorola prior to this week should be taken with a grain of salt. Google now has an entire ecosystem for its cellular arm, and there is no telling what theymayor may not do to control motorola mobility. Time will tell.

 

[batting1000]

Imagine if iOS was open source and manufacturers made a skinned iOS

 

[wxman2003]

I have motorola Razr Maxx. Sold my iPhone 4 to get it. Maxx is better. Plus I now have unlimited 4G data on verizon, which I would have lost if I waited until the end of my contract in December to upgrade. I still may switch back to the iPhone 5, but will buy it full price to keep 4G data and be able to use it anywhere as it will be unlocked.

 

[ChrisTX]

Anyone can buy a Galaxy Nexus by Google if they want. Instant OS updates, with a pure Android experience and no manufacturer UI, sinse it comes straight from Google. How is this any different from the iphone?

And now that the merger between Motorola mobility and Google has finally received China's blessing, anything that came from Motorola prior to this week should be taken with a grain of salt. Google now has an entire ecosystem for its cellular arm, and there is no telling what theymayor may not do to control motorola mobility. Time will tell.

Sorry I changed the original thread a bit, but to add to what you said. It has been rumored that Google only purchased Motorola for it's patents and not for its hardware. Google has stated Motorola will remain business as usual. If that's the case, you can expect more revenue loss as usual. Google doesn't want to exclude everyone else from the Android party by showing favoritism to Motorola especially when they arguably make the worst Android devices out there out of the major companies like HTC, Samsung, etc...

 

[TroyBoy30]

Anyone can buy a Galaxy Nexus by Google if they want. Instant OS updates, with a pure Android experience and no manufacturer UI, sinse it comes straight from Google. How is this any different from the iphone?

And now that the merger between Motorola mobility and Google has finally received China's blessing, anything that came from Motorola prior to this week should be taken with a grain of salt. Google now has an entire ecosystem for its cellular arm, and there is no telling what theymayor may not do to control motorola mobility. Time will tell.

Well for one the updates are still not instant. I had to wait almost a month for .4 on my imported gnex.

 

[jnl1211]

I've owned many Androids and not one single one was lacking updates or OEM skinned. That's what rooting's for.

 

[3bs]

I've owned many Androids and not one single one was lacking updates or OEM skinned. That's what rooting's for.

Exactly. That's half of the fun of using an Android phone, if not more

 

[DroidRules]

Why is this on macrumors?

 

[NoStopN]

Chris, I'll argue with you about who makes the worst Android device. I had an HTC Thunderbolt when they first came out. Every time (not kidding) a new update to the software was pushed to my phone, something else stopped working. A buddy of mine thanked me for suggesting that he get a MAXX as well. He's die hard Android & says he'll never have an Apple mobile product. I finally gave up after a year & got back with an iPhone. And for all of the horn tooting that Android develops, product makers, advertisers do, my experience with anything Android has generally been worse than iOS devices.

 

[chiefpavvy]

Translation: Buy our new model and you will get ICS.

And people have the audacity to call Apple "greedy". Unbelievable.

 

[mrbutters]

Motorola: If ICS won't make our device better, we won't update to it
And some of you here wonder why we chose the iPhone, and iOS over Android. No one wants a carrier, or OEM skinned device. Timely updates are a must, not 6 months after public release, or in the case of Motorola maybe never.

You missed the list Motorola released yesterday where just about every one of their phones are getting the upgrade. Those who want the new OS quickly can always root and install a ROM or leak. An option you don't even have with iOS.

 

[Arelunde]

I've had the Droid X (which was a great phone) and the Droid Bionic (the opposite). Bionic came out a year ago with ICS promised. It took nearly six months to get an update from Moto so the Bionic would even do the basics without issue.

The Bionic is nearly a year old now, been replaced by three (+?) newer Moto phones and owners are STILL waiting for the promised ICS. And it has become a mirage - always in view, but just out of reach.

Those original Bionics weren't cheap by any means and to have them replaced within months of release, be operationally inferior for another 6 months... Well, it just doesn't inspire loyalty. Of course, if I only paid the going price for one, maybe I'd be happy with it too.

However, I long ago jumped the Android ship and have been very happy with a iP4, planning to jump on the iP5 whenever...

 

[0m3ga]

Well for one the updates are still not instant. I had to wait almost a month for .4 on my imported gnex.

Wasn't this an issue for grey imports and not the gnex sold in the U.S.?

 

[ChrisTX]

Why is this on macrumors?

It's here for the same reasons the Samsung Galaxy S III thread, and the One X threads are here. Competition is relevant to the iPhone, and there's nothing wrong with healthy discussion. Plus this story caught my eye, and I figure it would be an interesting topic of discussion.

 

[b24pgg]

Motorola: If ICS won't make our device better, we won't update to it
And some of you here wonder why we chose the iPhone, and iOS over Android. No one wants a carrier, or OEM skinned device. Timely updates are a must, not 6 months after public release, or in the case of Motorola maybe never.

LOL. You clearly don't get Android.

The whole point of having an open source OS is so that we don't have to rely on the manufacturer for shit.

I've been using a vanilla Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich ROM on my Motorola Droid 4 for months.

 

[kdarling]

Translation: Buy our new model and you will get ICS.

And people have the audacity to call Apple "greedy". Unbelievable.

If Motorola were to withhold ICS simply to prompt someone to buy a newer model, then that would be as greedy as the way that Apple has held back features like MMS, multitasking and Siri on older models.

(Apple's actions are a big reason why it's silly to claim that iOS devices get updated to the same version number, as the version number is often meaningless on older models as related to major features.)

 

[ChazUK]

Locked bootloaders & inconsistent software upgrade releases across different regions have made it categorically clear to me that Motorola are not worth considering when it comes to hardware.

I stomached the Xoom thanks to its unlockable and relockable bootloader.

Thankfully my GSM Galaxy Nexus has had prompt updates direct from Google during its time I was running stock software.

 

[DroidRules]

It's here for the same reasons the Samsung Galaxy S III thread, and the One X threads are here. Competition is relevant to the iPhone, and there's nothing wrong with healthy discussion. Plus this story caught my eye, and I figure it would be an interesting topic of discussion.

On the droid forums maybe....

good discussion though.

 

[terraphantm]

LOL. You clearly don't get Android.

The whole point of having an open source OS is so that we don't have to rely on the manufacturer for shit.

I've been using a vanilla Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich ROM on my Motorola Droid 4 for months.

That may be fine for those of us who are techies... But when the market share is above 50%, then the majority of the users aren't going to be tech savvy. So those people will likely end up never upgrading

 

[macbook pro i5]

Why is this on macrumors?

Why is for name DroidRules on macrumors?

 

[DroidRules]

Why is for name DroidRules on macrumors?

A bit of an inside joke. I do like how some believe I am a droid user because of my name. Been rocking the i from day one and will continue to do so.

 

[Vegastouch]

Motorola: If ICS won't make our device better, we won't update to it
And some of you here wonder why we chose the iPhone, and iOS over Android. No one wants a carrier, or OEM skinned device. Timely updates are a must, not 6 months after public release, or in the case of Motorola maybe never.

Pretty funny since the Razr Maxx comes with ICS

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Mobile-Phones/DROID-RAZR-MAXX-by-MOTOROLA-US-EN?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=NA_US-EN_PPC_RAZR-MAXX_21Feb-31Mar_2012&WT.mc_ev=click

But you know, i took that article to mean that if a older device that maybe it will make the battery not last long because ICS is a bigger and better system, i can see them not updating that device. Apple didnt update my 2G to 4.0 and the battery isnt that good on 3.0. And reading that list from Motorola, looks like most newer or recent ones are going to get it.

I dont see the big deal.

 

[macbook pro i5]

A bit of an inside joke. I do like how some believe I am a droid user because of my name. Been rocking the i from day one and will continue to do so.

That's a good boy

 

[b24pgg]

That may be fine for those of us who are techies... But when the market share is above 50%, then the majority of the users aren't going to be tech savvy. So those people will likely end up never upgrading

The second Google result for "Droid 4 ICS" is a forum thread with instructions on how to install it. If someone isn't even tech savvy enough to do that, they aren't going to care about manufacturer updates.